Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Food

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Expository Writing - ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

As I see it, every day you do one of two things:
build health or produce disease in yourself.--Adelle Davis

Schools should fill their students with knowledge and feed their imaginations. Today's school lunches are now lessons themselves in good health and money management. A Minnesota study reports that nutritious school lunch programs can be delicious to both the palate and wallet.

Television Component
The CW 11 News at Ten had a story about how women on Long Island are living healthy and happy lives. View the video twice and then answer the multiple choice questions.

Newspaper Component
Today's Newsday contains the article "A Lesson in Healthful Eating." Read the story and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component

Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means you've met your New Year's resolution.
Jay Leno

Situation

Maintaining good health is a combination of diet, fitness and happiness. The article and video clip offer insights into ways a community and individual can enhance their well being.

Write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about ways to live a happy, long and healthy life.

The Nature and Structure of an EXPOSITORY ESSAY

An EXPOSITORY ESSAY is a form of writing in which things are explained and described. The goal of this style is to inform the reader of some event, issue or discovery. Typical of all formal styles of writing, this essay will follow a set pattern of 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Expository essays begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue or event is explained. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the story is being played out. The final sentence of this section is where the writer presents his/her OPINION on the issue. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the essay.

BODY PARAGRAPH
This section concerns the details of the story. Using the information from the article and interviews, the writer should present the facts in a strong, direct manner. It is best to arrange details in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. Place the more significant details at the start of the essay and the lesser ones later in the paragraph. The aim of an expository essay is to inform the reader, but the writer should also try to bring the reader to their opinion by using logic and the evidence.